


Off Book

by a tattered rose (atr)



Category: Lie to Me (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-24
Updated: 2009-12-24
Packaged: 2017-10-05 05:59:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/38501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atr/pseuds/a%20tattered%20rose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Lightman Group was built around a peculiar dynamic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Off Book

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AlamoGirl80](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlamoGirl80/gifts).



The Lightman Group was built around a peculiar dynamic.

 

Most organizations can be adequately described using two dimensions. TLG required three. The third could be seen in the name: where “Gillian Foster” was represented by the “G” in “Group.” The most influential secretaries knew all about this dimension: when they needed to make things happen, they wrangled phone time with Gillian Foster. And most importantly, Gillian Foster was pretty well acquainted with her place in this world.

 

Because whenever Cal protested that they were partners she mentally tagged his remark with “in the z-plane!”

 

In the beginning she hadn't minded. She had a lot to teach Cal and he had a lot to teach her and the small, flexible group was in constant flux and orbit. But as the business grew it staled and Gillian was beginning to chafe under the weight of her role.  She was sick of the scripts and the secret invisible ways they shared information.  How no one ever looked at her and saw just _Gillian_ anymore.

 

She felt like the victim of a “Flatland”ish joke. Buried behind Cal so no one could see her, unless he moved aside or paraded her around or someone, on a rare occasion, had fallen into the third dimension.

 

Like Jack Rader.

 

She didn't try to kid herself: half his appeal was Cal's bias against him. The mystery of their fall out. The chance to sneak off the paper herself, and take a look around. Drop back down on the other side and startle him into looking at her again like he used to look at her. Like he didn't think he knew who she was.

 

It wasn't something she was proud of. But one day he would figure out that if he wanted them to work, if he wanted to get what he wanted from her, he was going to have to play her game as much as she had always played his.

 

In the meanwhile, she was tired of being pinned down. Sick of the view. She was going to spend some quality time _off book_.


End file.
